This is one of my favorite summertime drinks to cool off with; and it's super easy to make!​Just chop - up a cucumber and throw it into a quart jar or a pitcher with some mint leaves, shake it up and stick it in the fridge overnight.

​This is a great little formula that combines Chinese herbs with a Western Botanical to manage a commonly experienced symptom among women who are going through that uncomfortable time of transition, known as peri-menopause / menopause. ​Some of the symptoms associated with menopause are:

night sweats

hot flushes

fatigue

irritability

anxiety

restlessness,

In Chinese medicine, this naturally occurring transformation represents a relative change between Yin and Yang energies. In the majority of cases, as a woman enters into menopause the Yang energy becomes more predominate (most common presentation), and signs of heat become more prevalent.

​Other factors which determine the severity of menopausal symptoms depends on the woman’s constitution, her lifestyle, and how she deals with stress. The good thing is, that all these symptoms can be easily managed through herbs, acupuncture and lifestyle changes.

​Meta-Balance contains 3 well-known and well-researched herbs that have a long history of use in Chinese gynecology, plus an additional Western Botanical used for over a century in Europe for reproductive and gynecology conditions.

1. Dang Gui is sweet, acrid, bitter and warm. Therapeutically, Dang Gui is best known for being a blood tonic that can move blood by improving circulation. It also regulates the menses, alleviates pain, reduces swellings, and for those who suffer from constipation, Dang Gui moves the bowels and moistens the intestines.

Medical functions:

Promotes red blood cell production

Anti-coagulant (blood thinner)

Lowers blood lipids

Increases blood volume

Both a stimulating & inhibiting effect on the uterus

Antioxidant

Anti-inflammatory

Immune modulator

GI protective

2. Shan Yao, also known as Chinese wild yam, is sweet and neutral. Its therapeutic actions focus mainly on tonifying and stabilizing the Qi & Yin of the Spleen, Stomach, Lungs and Kidneys. It also helps generate fluids (moisten dryness), which is great for women going through these symptoms, because heat usually drys up the fluids in the body.

This herb’s ability to clear heat and vent it through the exterior of the body makes it very useful for hot flashes and night sweats. Also, it helps regulate the body temperature by balancing the neuroendocrine system (raises Yang).

Medical functions:

Antipyretic

Inhibits pain

Inhibits edema

Down regulates the sympathetic nervous system

Lowers blood pressure

Inhibits ulcers

4. ​​Chaste Tree Berry, which has been approved by the German Commission E, has a long history of use throughout Europe for gynecological and reproductive conditions such as, PMS, migraines and menstrual irregularities.

Chaste tree berry is very similar to the Chinese herb Man jing Zi, which is bitter, spicy and cool. Its therapeutic actions include: Clearing heat and dispersing wind, especially in the Liver channel, and draining dampness.

Medical functions:

Antipyretic effect

Inhibits pain

Sedative effect

Opioidergic properties in vitro

Dopaminergic properties in vitro

Inhibits the release of prolactin

Restores progesterone concentrations

Restores luteinizing hormone

This formula also contains a phyto - chemical called heperidin, which is a bioflavinoid found in large amounts in citrus fruits. Hesperidin is primarily used to strengthen capillaries. *It is also known to stabilize vasomotor activity associated with menopausal hot flashes.*

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This year, when you’re thinning out your seedlings, make sure you save all those little babies you pull-out, instead of tossing them to the ground.​Those little seedlings, sometimes called microgreens, baby greens, sprouts or shoots, are packed with tons of nutrients. In fact, studies show that these early stages of growth have up to 40 times more nutrients than a mature plant.

Meet Chinese fast food. These hardboiled eggs are flavored with tea & spices making them a tasty and portable snack..

Eggs are one of the best super-foods around and that's why this snack gets an A+ for being nutritious!

Great for breakfast or a snack - to - go! ​

​Tea Egg Recipe #1

​Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs

water

2 tea bags of black tea

5g. ginger

3 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

3 star anise

5g. coconut sugar

15ml soy sauce

12g. salt

1g. pepper

​Directions:

Rinse the eggs with water and place them in a pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place them in a in a strainer. Run cold water over them and set on the counter until room temperature. Using the back of a spoon, gently tap the outer shell of the eggs, creating uniform cracks around the entire egg, but don’t remove shells. Return the eggs to the pot with the water and add the remaining ingredients. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes; stirring occasionally. For a stronger, richer taste, soak the eggs for 4 to 10 hours, and then serve. Left – over eggs may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 -3 days. ​

​Tea Egg Recipe #2

ngredients:

1 dozen eggs

2 tablespoons black tea leaves (Pu-erh Tea can also be used)

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1.5 teaspoons Sichuan pepper 花椒

4 Chinese star anise 八角

3 dried tangerine peel 陳皮

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder or cinnamon stick

2 tablespoon cooking wine

Dash of cumin

​Directions:

​Place eggs in a large pot, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and soak in cold water for a couple of minutes. When cool, gently tap eggs with the back of a spoon to crack the shells, but do not remove the shells.In a large pot, combine tea leaves, salt, sugar, Sichuan pepper, star anise, tangerine peel, cinnamon powder, cooking wine and cumin with water and egg. (about 4-5 cups of water, enough to cover all the eggs). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Remove from heat and let them steep overnight or longer.​*Tips: Before combining the tea leaves with the spice liquid, soak them in warm water for 15 minutes, drain and remove. This can remove the bitter taste.​

Vitamin C (a.k.a. ascorbic acid) is one of the worse supplements you can buy over – the – counter (OTC). Like other OTC supplements, you never know what you’re truly getting in the ingredients, because most all OTC brands use low-quality ascorbic acid that has been sourced from China, the world’s largest producer of ascorbic acid. Between the years 2013 and 2015 China contributed 80 – 90% of the world’s vitamin C supply.

If you remember, China does not have a very solid reputation when it comes to quality, especially as it pertains to keeping chemicals and unknown substances out of their products; i.e. recent examples include lead in toys, contaminated infant formula and powdered milk.

To make this problem worse, the U.S. government does not test imported vitamins and supplements or their ingredients. For cheap OTC supplement brands this is a plus, because they can adulterate the products with unknown substances.

This is just one of many reasons I strongly recommend patients and consumers alike to purchase physician grade supplements, which are held to a much higher standard of scrutiny.

Thorne Research is recommended for 3 main reasons:

High - quality ascorbic acid that doesn’t originate in China.

They offer vitamin C with bioflavonoids, which are important anti-oxidants that have many benefits

They offer a highly absorbable buffered vitamin C for those who have malabsorption problems

Beet greens – Are an excellent source of calcium & magnesium, and; very good source of iron; rich in carotenoids (beta carotene and lutein / zeaxanthin), which are especially good for retinal health. Also an excellent source of vitamins E, K and C, B2 and a great source of fiber and protein. (1)

The main chemical constituent of beets is betaine. The physiological role of betaine is to protect cells (2), proteins, (3) and enzymes from environmental stress. (4) It also participates in fat & protein metabolism, and phase II detox support in the liver.

ResearchBetaine has many benefits including: antioxidant activity (5), anti-inflammatory action (6) ; lowers blood levels of homocysteine (7), and some research suggests that betaine has an anti-tumor effect on human cancer cells.

How to cook:

Steam for 15 minutes or less.

Roast for under 1 hour in order to not destroy the betaine.

Blanche the beet greens in a little water.

Warning: Beets may interact with some medications, so be sure to consult with your Eastern physician or doctor. If you have certain kidney or gallbladder conditions you may want to avoid eating the beet greens due to their high oxalate content which can cause crystals to form in the blood. High oxalate levels may also inhibit calcium absorption.

Also, beets can cause urine and bowel movements to turn a reddish – pinkish hue; this is called betanuria and is not harmful.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin (FSV), and should be taken with a meal that contains a small amount of dietary fat, because it attaches to the fat molecules, which transport it through the body.

Research shows that vitamin D is better absorbed when taken with the evening meal, which tends to be the largest and fattiest meal of the day. This same study also concluded that serum levels of vitamin D (25(OH)D) were increased by as much as 50% when supplemented in this fashion.[i]

The absorption of vitamin D can be inhibited by other FSV, because they use the same metabolic pathways and compete for the same fat molecules[ii]; so it is best to separate dosages by several hours.

When people go shopping for groceries they make a lot of bad decisions that lead to unhealthy purchases.

The 3 main contributing factors to these regretful choices are:

The food industry spends millions and millions of dollars on marketing and displaying junk food; which is primarily what you find at supermarkets

Companies are not required to provide full disclosure on food labels, and even if they did, who can read the micro-print?

Most people don't know how to read / translate labels.

This may help!

I just learned about a great app that people can use when they go shopping. What it does, is scan your food choice and gives you detailed information about the ingredients and nutritional value. It gives each product a health grade and also recommends healthier choices if relevant. To learn more about this free app and to download it, go to:

Daikon is Japanese for “large root”, and is sometimes referred to as Oriental radish. White in color, and similar in shape to a super-sized carrot, daikon can grow to be 6 – 20 inches long and 2 – 3 inches in diameter.

Daikon is super nutritious and tastes great! This cruciferous vegetable has high levels of Vitamin C and potassium. It also contains calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, folate, dietary fiber, and other nutrients.

Daikon has some great health benefits! It contains natural digestive enzymes that aid in the digestion of fats, complex carbohydrates, and proteins. Try some grated daikon on your next salad, fish, or just on the side; just make sure you use it within 30 minutes of grating it, or the enzymes will be lost.

Daikon may reduce the risk of cancer by blocking the accumulation in the stomach of a carcinogen known as nitrosamine. Researchers have also found that daikon is effective as a decongestant and natural diuretic. So if you have edema, this would be a nice addition to your diet.

It’s also a great way to boost the immune function due to its high content of vitamin C. Daikon also is an awesome detoxifier, so if you’re planning a detox, daikon should be part of it.

In Chinese medicine the properties of Daikon are neutral to cool in temperature, and acrid to mildly acrid in taste. It moistens the lungs, loosens phlegm in the lungs & stomach, and promotes digestion.

To discharge old animal proteins and fats that have accumulated in the body, use a tablespoon of grated daikon with a few drops of soy sauce or black vinegar each day.

To remove excess toxins and dairy products from the body cook some daikon in some kombu broth.

Recipe ideas

There are so many great ways to eat Daikon, and they're quick and easy! You can cut them into rounds, cubes or half rounds and roast them (alone), with red peppers or what ever you like. Brush them with a little olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper, add your favorite dried herbs and throw them in the oven until tender.

You can also steam them with your favorite veggies and eat them over whole grain brown rice / quinoa.

Another fantastic way to enjoy daikon is by shredding it into a salad, maybe adding some shredded carrot, ginger, raisins, and a little sugar and soy sauce.

Be creative and mix and match; come up with healthy creations and share them with me. I would love to hear what you've come up with.